WRC – Citroën focused on its duel with Hyundai in Catalonia

With only one point ahead of Hyundai Motorsports, second place in the Manufacturers' Championship is far from acquired for Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT who must maintain the advantage after the last two rounds of the season. “Mads Østberg and Kris Meeke showed themselves capable of displaying remarkable performances on these two surfaces. The DS 3 WRC is also competitive on all terrains. The objective is to display great regularity throughout the rally to maintain our second position in the manufacturers’ ranking”, confirmed Yves Matton, director of Citroën Racing.

The Reds will be able to count in particular on Mads Ostberg who finished at the foot of the podium during the previous edition. “After the Tour de Corse on asphalt, we took part in a test session on gravel, so we should be well prepared to ride on both surfaces”, said the Norwegian. “The stages on the first day are quite similar to what we already know, they are fantastic dirt roads. This stage will necessarily be essential to start the race well, but the three days will be as important as each other. On gravel, I always have the ambition to finish on the podium. »

Kris Meeke also stood out at the Rally de Catalunya, finishing in second place before suffering a puncture. “By leaving later on Friday morning, we should avoid problems due to dust,” noted the Northern Irishman. “On asphalt, the course is fantastic. Last year, we were very competitive and the DS 3 WRC was perfect. Only a double puncture deprived us of a great result. The new specials will force us to work on taking notes. If we have a trouble-free weekend, a podium should be a realistic target, but the real objective is to consolidate our second place in the constructors' standings. »